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This wilderness area is a short 2 hour drive from the Tacoma area. We stayed at the Iron Creek Campground. Old growth forest blanketed with ferns and moss made this a beautiful setting. There are nearby day trips into the Gifford Pinchot Forest if you just want a drive in the forest. Pick up good maps at the campground entry!

Beautiful trails and foliage in the fall. Lots of opportunities for hunting chanterelles, among other mushrooms. So many different hiking trails and environs to see. Love taking the time to hike around when visiting family in Troutlake. Hiking can be as easy or strenuous as you like, depending upon the company you keep.

We disperse/boondock/dry camp in the Gifford Pinchot Forrest alot. We (my husband and myself) have camped at some stunning sites. We have camped alot along the Cispus River and this one spot in particular was awesome. At night we enjoyed a light show fin the form of shooting stars and statelites flying overhead. The river was right next to our...
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After exiting the east entrance of Mount Saint Helens and heading north to Randall, there is a stop called Iron Creek. This stop is considered to be in the Gifford Pinchot National Forrest. It is roughly a quarter mile roundtrip and worth the effort. The path is well maintained and shaded the whole way. There is a large creek and...
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Some parts of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest are overrun with ORV filling the air with noise, dust, and the smell of fuel, but there are many wonderful areas that don't contain the annoying vehicles. My favorite small campground in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is named Walupt Lake Campground, situated on, you guessed it, Walupt Lake. It's a small...
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We stayed specifically at Takhlakh Lake Campground and explored the 3,500 year old lava flows nearby at the meadows (easy hike for kids). The weather was spotty mid Aug - rain and more rain with thunder/lightening but that didn't put a damper on our stay. Nearby are several other campgrounds with beautiful lakes. Council Lake, Horseshoe Lake (amazing), Goose Lake...I...
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Sick of the slog up highway 26 to Mt. Hood? Just zip up the Gorge and head north at Hood River to find the fine forests of the Gifford Pinchot. Hike the Pacific Crest Trail, fish in Goose Lake, look for Bigfoot in the Dark Divide or pick huckleberries in Indian Heaven. It's an undiscovered gem! Stop by the Trout...
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This forest packs so much in this hidden corner of Washington state. Whether you want to hike, camp, fish, or take a scenic drive through the forest, you're sure to find it in the Gifford Pinchot.
MOUNT ST> HELENS NATIONAL VOLCANIC MONUMENT:
You can visit the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, and witness a volcano that is healing from...
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This is a drive with few (if any) places for rest-stops---solid elevation climbs over 3900 Ft.---many
turns and twists with views of Swift Reservoir, Mt. Adams, then past several camp-grounds---
the down slope to Randle is very rough with road sections on apex of curves having dropped
and in shaded areas views of dips almost un-discernable---frequent solid lunges and dips---...
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